Romania to vote on presidential impeachment

Euronews

In the run-up to Romania’s referendum on whether or not to impeach the president, both Prime Minister Victor Ponta and President Traian Basescu are campaigning hard.

Polls indicate that some 65% of people want Basescu impeached. Basescu meanwhile is portraying MPs as a pack of hyenas.

“In my opinion, we need this referendum,” said one man, interviewed by euronews. “In Romania, life is unbearable but I don’t know whether people are aware and will actually vote. I will vote yes to impeachment.”

But another man disagreed. “I will stay at home because I want to thwart a series of illegal actions,” he said. “This is a coup d’etat disguised as a popular referendum.”

A turnout of more than 50% is required in order to validate the referendum but a combination of disenchantment, apathy and summer holidays means there’s no guarantee that figure will be reached.

Euronews correspondent in Bucharest, Laura Davidescu, said: “Both Romania’s major political parties master the art of unorthodox politics. Unbiased observers know it: both the Social-Liberals, in power, and the Democrat-Liberals of President Basescu, manipulate the Constitution. So this political crisis could continue to ravage Romania’s politics well beyond this Sunday’s referendum.”